Offered in full sheets only, Thermo-Lite Board® is built for lifetime performance and is ideal for endless applications subjected to static and dynamic loads. Thermo-Lite Board® is manufactured in a thicknesses from 6mm to 38mm, dimensions up to 1510mm wide and 3580mm long, and a density range of 320-640kg/m³, depending upon the product line. It is commonly found in horse floats as floor & walls, it is often the floor in ambulances & buses.
Thermo-lite board in the marine industry is commonly used for floors & transoms in both new & older boats to replace plywood that has rotted when used as a core.
We mainly sell 19mm for transoms. As we only sell full sheets, our customers generally get enough from a full sheet 1220×2440 to laminate the cutouts together & this will give them 38mm thickness plus the laminate. They will use a good structural epoxy glue like Techniglue R60 or sometimes vinylester resin & glue powder like cabosil. (not a waxed polyester) Some customers will even check in a piece of stainless steel in a point where they might put in ski hooks for example, so after it is all finished, they have strong points where the load is spread better. Some will even check in a plate where they screw up the outboard mounts, it is a good idea to ensure no compression is experienced.
Floors we see people using the 12.7mm sheets. This thickness is fine where you have 300mm centres or less as supports underneath. If you have bigger loads, you might even go a 15mm sheet. It is easily cut with a hand saw, jigsaw etc. To finish the floor, some will just leave the sheet as is & glue carpet. Some like to resin coat (epoxy or vinylester) it then flowcoat it. As the board is 99.9% waterproof, it will not absorb water, it will never rot & you will not have to do the job again. Sheets weigh generally less than an equivalent sheet of plywood. Note that Thermo-lite board is not UV stable, so it does require a finish if sunlight can get to it.
Thermo-lite board is a sell point in boats that are older that have been done up as the new buyer knows there will be no rot issues in the boat & even new boats now, if you had a choice between a ply core or thermo-lite, I know what I would choose!
You can see prices & stock availability here: https://marinetradesupplies.com.au/product-category/boat-building/thermo-lite-board/
Datsheets for those technical buffs are here: https://marinetradesupplies.com.au/wp-docs/
How Can I buy Thermo-lite Board:
Ok, this is where it gets a little tricky unless you can just walk in store & buy off the rack. You cannot just phone us & pay over the phone, we just don’t do that. We will just ask you to email us with your business address with a forklift. This can be a mates address that lives close to you, a local business that you can ask to receive your shipment even, we don’t mind so long as you tee that up on your side. If you do not have a business address with a forklift, you will need to collect at your closest Mainfreight depot. Be aware a 1220×2440 sheet takes up the m3 on a truck of two full pallet spaces. Trucking companies are in it to make money. Add $88 to the freight charge if we need to send a tailgate truck as you have no forklift. Just imagine a pantec truck pulling up, you are not home & the driver needs to somehow lift the sheet of the truck by him or herself. They will not do it, it is a health & safety issue & you cannot blame them, they need to make many deliveries over their lifetime as a driver, your sheet /s are just one of a lifetime of deliveries for those drivers, so why would they do their back in on one delivery!
Also, no they will not call ahead when they are driving their truck, just to tell you they will be there in 30 mins. It would be nice sure, but with the many deliveries a day a driver makes, it is just not practical for drivers to call people.
We also have no idea on freight charges over the phone, so when you email us your delivery address, we then log into the Mainfreight portal & put in your address, dimensions, weights & it will quote us. Again, not something we can do over the phone, on the spot sorry! As a ball park though expect $150 to $250 a delivery depending where in Australia you are located.
You can message us for a quote to your business address here, don’t for get to tell us how many sheets and the thickness you require: https://marinetradesupplies.com.au/quick-order/
Of course everyone’s orders are important to us, but you need to understand shipping a 1220×2440 sheet/s is not just a matter of popping on a stamp & putting it in the post box. Your patience in this process is appreciated.
Thermo-lite Core Board:
